Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Ancillary, non-main-line stuff. Star Wars TF, Speed Stars, Titanium Series, Robot Heroes, that sort of thing. They're kinda neat, but we all know they're not really that important. Admit it, you know it's true.
User avatar
Dominic
Supreme-Class
Posts: 9331
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: Boston
Contact:

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by Dominic »

I am more excited by the idea of getting Ferak than I am by the actual toy.

The colours manage to miss the mark on all iterations of the character. One of the obvious problems with using established "Ferak colours" is that they are too close to Cyclonus' colours. This could have been avoided by not using the Cyclonus mould. (TFG Sky/black Shadow would have worked for Ferak. But, some people are speculating that Sky/Black Shadow will be used as the basis for Macabre.)

Making Tornado the gun likely means that we are not getting Earthquake as part of this set. (Tornado and Earthquake really should be complimentary figures.)


One thing that should not surprise anybody is that Fun Publications is still milking "Last Stand of the Wreckers" for ideas.
User avatar
JediTricks
Site Admin
Posts: 3849
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:17 pm
Location: LA, CA, USA

Re: Botcon 2014 theme

Post by JediTricks »

Sparky Prime wrote:
JediTricks wrote:The problem seems to be execution, there was nothing piratey about Thundertron aside from the peg leg and sword. But it's worth working out, seeing if it'll fit.
Nothing piratey aside from a peg leg and sword? What about his head-crest design that is clearly modeled after a pirate captains hat, and the blackbeard-esk beard? The only thing that could make him look more piratey would be a parrot on his shoulder and an eye patch.
The sword doesn't look like a pirate sword, the peg leg doesn't make a lick of sense, the crest doesn't look a damn like a pirate hat, and the colors don't seem piratey either. This figure tanked at market.

TM wrote:The toy also had those blue side flaps attached to the robot waist plate & blue thing attached to its butt. The blue stuff was suspose to represent some sort of Pirates captain blue long jacket.
I rarely see any TF where plating looks like clothes, even when intended, and this is no different.
Image
See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Botcon 2014 theme

Post by Sparky Prime »

JediTricks wrote:The sword doesn't look like a pirate sword, the peg leg doesn't make a lick of sense, the crest doesn't look a damn like a pirate hat, and the colors don't seem piratey either. This figure tanked at market.
I was commenting on the fact a sword is a stereotypical weapon for a pirate to have (besides a flinklock styled firearm), but since you brought it up, what exactly is a pirate sword supposed to look like? Because there is a ton of different styled swords that are considered piratey, to the point I'd say it'd be hard to pin down what looks specifically like a pirate's sword. How can you say the peg leg doesn't make a "lick of sense"? For a stereotypical pirate design, a peg leg certainly fits the bill. The head crest is very clearly based on a pirate captain's hat, somewhat similar to this type of a hat. The colors, I'd give you don't look particularly piratey, but when so much about the design screams: PIRATE, I don't think that's really makes much difference. Not to mention, being an robot alien space pirate I think gives them some room to experiment with the character's color. And so what if it tanked at market? For being such a random release in the Prime toyline that had nothing to do with Prime, I don't think there's much of a surprise there.
User avatar
Almighty Unicron
Supreme-Class
Posts: 452
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 10:25 pm

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by Almighty Unicron »

Let the record show that I, Almighty Unicron, believes Thundertron to be sufficiently piratical.
Image
User avatar
JediTricks
Site Admin
Posts: 3849
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:17 pm
Location: LA, CA, USA

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by JediTricks »

Pirates are known for carrying a cutlass. Sabers are good too. Anything by Buick. I suppose a scimitar isn't too far out, but it's not what they're best known for.

The peg leg on a ROBOT doesn't make sense, it's not like on a human where a foot can't grow back, robots just have another one put on.

That hat doesn't make a visual link on Thundertron because it's only the central crest and not the rest of it.
Image
See, that one's a camcorder, that one's a camera, that one's a phone, and they're doing "Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil", get it?
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by Sparky Prime »

JediTricks wrote:Pirates are known for carrying a cutlass. Sabers are good too. Anything by Buick. I suppose a scimitar isn't too far out, but it's not what they're best known for.
Heh, car humor. But that's exactly my point, they are known for using some different designs of swords. Heck, even something like a cutlass can vary quite a lot with the general style of its design.
The peg leg on a ROBOT doesn't make sense, it's not like on a human where a foot can't grow back, robots just have another one put on.

That hat doesn't make a visual link on Thundertron because it's only the central crest and not the rest of it.
Ultra Magnus was given a claw for a hand in the Prime cartoon due to Ratchet having limited resources to work with to replace his damaged hand. I can't imagine a pirate crew, even a robot one, having the greatest of resources or even the greatest of medics to replace damaged parts. Besides, Thundertron does come with that removable foot so its not like it's just a peg leg.

I don't agree that the hat doesn't make the visual link just because it's only a crest rather than the whole hat. It doesn't need the rest of it to mimic the general look, and it's an unusual design for a crest compared to any other Transformer. It was certainly meant to evoke that look.
User avatar
Tigermegatron
Supreme-Class
Posts: 2106
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:28 am

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by Tigermegatron »

That TFP Thundertron toy is a perfect example of how cheap HasTak is & the extents they'd go to cut corners & ruin figures. Tundertron's robot mode is visually a 1-D figure as it only looks great/decent from the front view. The Back & side views of the robot mode look terrible thanks to all the short cuts in sculpt & design. The Lion mode looks decent a mile away but when you examine it up close it's flaws & short cuts become apparent real fast.

I was able to do a few quick kitbashes to make the TFP Thundertron toy a bit better. Like replacing the Ugly Thundertron robot head with a Kreo build it Mirage robot head. I was also able to get rid of the pirate robot peg leg. You'll need to get two figures & swap out robot legs back & forth to get rid of the pirate leg transforming gimmick. Overall I am quite please with my custom Kitbash.
User avatar
Dominic
Supreme-Class
Posts: 9331
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:55 pm
Location: Boston
Contact:

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by Dominic »

Tiger, that has to be one of the more expensive kit-bashes I have seen described. (And, I am the guy who recoloured an Ultra-class Onslaught in to Dualor and a Henkei Grimlock in to "Generation 2" Grimlock.) And, I am not even willing to talk about the after-market value of some of the "Universe" figures I have customized.


On another note, Fun Publications revealed "Timelines" Devcon today. Devcon looks to be a straight recolour of "Generations" Scourge using the alternate head/face sculpt.

Over-all, I am...not impressed. The colour mapping is forced, especially in vehicle mode.

Fun Publications looks to be branding Devcon as an Autobot (and likely a knight) despite the fact that his established bounty-hunter gimmick would be more consistent with a privateer/pirate.

If anybody wants to split a boxed set, I am only moderately interested in Ferak thus far.
User avatar
Sparky Prime
Supreme-Class
Posts: 5225
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:12 am

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by Sparky Prime »

I think the Scourge mold actually works surprisingly well for Devcon. I like the colors on it more than the original Scourge figure. Bit odd to see an Autobot symbol on him though. If he's a Knight, I would have thought they'd use the Knight symbol that they came up with for this years Botcon.
User avatar
Tigermegatron
Supreme-Class
Posts: 2106
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:28 am

Re: Botcon 2014 discussion - Pirates vs Knights

Post by Tigermegatron »

Personally,I think the Botcon toys are getting worse each year. As Two key factors ruin them.

1- TFCC is getting overly obsessed with the comic magazine fiction. It's no longer about create decent conventions toys world wide fans would like. Now it's all about trying to give most of the TFCC Comics chracters a toy. Even if it means using a toy that makes no sense or looks bad on the TFCC Comics persona.

2- TFCC gets too overly obsessed with the yearly convention theme. Often times it feels like they care more about creating the most toys instead of focusing on creating 2 or 3 superior convention exclusives that fans worldwide would think are epic awesome. Having that huge box for the gift set often forces buyers to buy toys they don't want just to get a toy or two they like. I feel those add on souvenir toys in plastic baggies is the cheapest horrible thing possible. I miss the 3H years when botcon toys were packaged in individual boxes.

Personally if I were running Botcon. I'd bring things back to the way the Hartmans had it. I'd select 2 or 3 botcon toys that most wanted & put them in individual boxes. I might even opt to do a Character theme,like Having 2014 be a rodimus year,Where TM2 Tigerhawk,2005 Leader Megatron & Energon Landmine were all recolored in 1986 Rodimus Prime toy colors with newer head sculpts.
Post Reply